Attachment 10- GPM-21-11 Excavation Permits (27 OCT 21).pdf

DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY

US ARMY INSTALLATION MANAGEMENT COMMAND

HEADQUARTERS, UNITED STATES ARMY GARRISON, FORT DRUM

10000 10TH MOUNTAIN DIVISION DRIVE

FORT DRUM, NEW YORK 13602-5046

AMIM-DRG-ZA 21 October 2021

MEMORANDUM FOR SEE DISTRIBUTION

SUBJECT: Garrison Policy Memorandum 21-11, Excavation Permits

1. References:

a. 16 NYCRR (New York State Codes, Rules and Regulations), part 753, 4 January 2012.

b. Army Regulation (AR) 380-49, Industrial Security Program, 20 March 2013.

2. Supersession: This policy supersedes Garrison Policy Memorandum 19-11, Excavation Permits, 26 July 2019.

3. Purpose: Establish local policies and procedures regulating and requiring the use of excavation (digging) permits on Fort Drum.

4. Concept: Every excavation on the installation has impacts to safety, environment, and operations. New York State law mandates coordination with subsurface utilities prior to start of excavation. Fort Drum extends the requirements of the New York State law to cover the utilities owned and operated by the installation and all the land owned by the Department of the Army and managed by the Fort Drum Garrison.

5. Applicability: This policy applies to all commands, contractors, tenants and all directorates located on or working within the Fort Drum training areas, and installation boundary.

6. General: The primary purpose of this policy is to establish a uniform set of rules for excavation permits. A utility strike affects life, health, safety, security and preparedness.

The excavation permit process is the only authorized method for assessing risks.

Failure to comply with the requirements of this policy will invoke an immediate ‘stop work’ order until compliance is verified.

a. 16 NYCRR (New York State Codes, Rules and Regulations) Part 753, applies to all excavations within the boundaries of Fort Drum. Additionally, the Fort Drum excavation permit policy contains requirements in addition to, but not in conflict with, 16 NYCRR Part 753.

AMIM-DRG-ZA

b. Several agencies on Fort Drum are involved in approving an excavation permit application. No excavation can begin on Fort Drum without an approved excavation permit, with the exception of an emergency permit as described in paragraph 9e. For projects with a government employee as the Project Manager (PM), the PM or designated Construction Control Representative (Con Rep) will issue the completed permit to the contractor.

7. An excavation is any intrusion into the surface of the earth. This includes, but is not limited to, the placement of tent pins, excavation for utility lines, and excavation for foundation elements for outdoor recreational devices, antennas, utilities, and buildings.

Hand excavation, using hand tools, that is no more than 12 inches into the ground, and vacuum excavation no more than 12 inches into the ground is allowed without a permit.

Unpermitted hand and vacuum excavation shall stop if utility lines are uncovered.

a. Within the cantonment area, driving stakes, pins, or rods is considered to be excavation and requires an excavation permit.

b. In the range area, an excavation permit is required for any intrusion into the surface of the earth at any fixed training facility. Additionally, an excavation permit is required for any intrusion into the surface of the earth within 50 feet from the edges of any range area roads. Units conducting field training exercises (CPX, STX), bivouac, or any field training in a training area will need to submit an excavation permit for digging operations (i.e. fighting positions, FOB/COP construction, defensive obstacles, soakage/grey water pits). Units erecting tents or placing ground rods in the training area are not required to submit an excavation permit for areas that are more than 50 feet from the edges of the road.

8. The Fort Drum Excavation Permit Process is automated through the Web-based Excavation Permit Application (WEPA) at https://mapsrus.drum.army.mil/wepa.html.

This application directs the collection of information and routes permit requests to approving officials. This policy formalizes the requirements and provides guidance on the data to be collected. WEPA is served through the Fort Drum Intranet and is not available to the Internet. Access is limited to Common Access Card (CAC) holders with a Fort Drum installation campus area network account. Project Managers may recommend contractors for CAC and network access in accordance with the requirements of AR 380-49 (Industrial Security Program). Coordinate with the Directorate Security Manager and Industrial Security Branch. For contracts valued at less than $150K, government employees may administratively enter the permit request on behalf of contractors, but shall not be named as the requestor on the permit. Any

CAC holder with Fort Drum computer network access rights may make a permit request through the website.

9. The following requirements apply to every excavation permit requested:

a. The Dig Safely New York Program must be contacted in accordance with 16 NYCRR Part 753 before applying for a Fort Drum excavation permit. The ticket number provided by the Dig Safely New York Program is required by WEPA before an excavation permit request may be submitted. For Commercial Telephone companies, Cable TV providers and the Development Authority of the North Country (DANC), Dig Safely New York will contact those entities, mark the construction site, and locate utilities. To create a new ticket call 1-800-962-7962 or 811 or access through the internet at https://www.digsafelynewyork.com/. The requestor shall maintain a copy of official communications from the Dig Safely New York program pertaining to each excavation request.

b. For entities other than those identified in paragraph 9.a, and as stated in 16 NYCRR part 753, the excavator is responsible for outlining the anticipated excavation area with white markings prior to submitting an excavation permit application.

Government utility locators will then locate utilities within the excavation area and up to 15 feet beyond the excavation area. The area drawn by the requestor in its permit request shows the general location of excavation, but is not the official excavation area.

Requests to locate utilities and mark areas beyond 15’ of the excavation limits will be disapproved.

c. Fort Drum personnel that approve excavation permits have ten (10) business days from the date of receipt of the request to approve each permit. Excavation is not authorized until after the permit has been issued.

d. Any disapproval of a permit application stops the permit process and requires submission of a new permit application.

e. An emergency excavation permit is available only to the Public Works Operations and Maintenance Division, Public Works Environmental Division and Network Enterprise Center (NEC). An emergency is defined as a break in utility service to a facility on the installation where immediate excavation is required to respond to and mitigate a spill and/or effect repairs. Supervisors of these organizations have unilateral approval authority for excavations outside the normal duty day. Permit application and approval may be retroactive. Verbal approvals shall be noted in subsequent approval documentation.

f. Approved permits are emailed to the requestor by the government PM, or other Government Official if no government PM has been assigned. Excavation permits are considered issued when all required approvals are obtained and the signed permit is sent to the requestor via e-mail.

g. Excavation permits are valid for starting excavation for thirty (30) calendar days from the date of issuance. The excavation permit remains valid until the work is completed or until work ceases on the site for 30 consecutive calendar days, whichever occurs first. If additional work needs to be done in an area where the permit has expired or the earlier work has been completed then another permit shall be requested, unless the contractor has maintained utility markings and is granted authorization by the Project Manager or designated Con Rep overseeing the project, and it is documented with a new Certification of Verification of Utility Markings.

h. The approved excavation permit shall be carried by the contractor at the work site and shall be presented when requested by any government representative. Failure to provide an approved excavation permit is a life, health, safety violation and requires the excavator to immediately cease any mechanical excavation until the contractor can demonstrate approval for the excavation.

i. The requestor or excavator is responsible for protecting any markings made in the area by utilities specialists to indicate the location of underground utilities. Within 30 days of receipt of an approved excavation permit, the contractor shall hard stake all utility markings on non-concrete/asphalt areas and maintain the marks until the project is complete. Utility markings will be replaced by the utility owner after a new excavation permit request has been made by the contractor. The requestor shall not permit ground disturbance until the new excavation permit is issued.

j. If the proposed work lines are within five (5) feet of utility markings, then the excavator is expected to hand dig or vacuum excavate to verify depth and position of the indicated utilities. Failure to locate the utilities within five (5) feet either side of where they are indicated shall halt further excavation until the area is cleared by the owner of the utility.

k. The requestor is liable for repairs to underground utilities damaged by their work, regardless of the condition or accuracy of above ground markings.

10. WEPA is not a project approval process. An excavation permit shall not be requested unless the project has been approved by the appropriate authority. Housing residents must coordinate with Fort Drum Mountain Community Homes (FDMCH).

Soldiers will coordinate with their chain of command. Any contractor questions regarding excavations shall be coordinated through the project manager and Contracting Officer Representative (COR) before applying for an excavation permit. For contracted work, the government contract number shall be provided.

11. The point of contact for this policy is Mr. Richard J Bator (Justin), P.E. Engineering Plans and Services Division Chief, Directorate of Public Works at (315) 772-4948, or richard.j.bator.civ@mail.mil

JAMES J. ZACCHINO, JR.

Colonel, LG Garrison Commander

DISTRIBUTION: A